APCC response to Public Accounts Committee Report on Reducing Modern Slavery (2 May 2018)

Responding to today's Public Accounts Committee Report,
Reducing Modern Slavery, Mark Burns-Williamson, Police and Crime
Commissioner for West Yorkshire, and national lead for the
Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) on modern
slavery, said:

"As chair of the National Anti-Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Network (NATMSN) for PCC's in England and Wales, I am greatly
encouraged by the significant progress made in the police response
to modern slavery over the last twelve months and the work of the
Modern Slavery Police Transformation Programme to influence and
support this achievement.

"It is crucial that we always remember the needs of victims and
ensure they are supported before they enter the National Referral
Mechanism (NRM) process, during and after, so the appropriate
safeguards are in place to ensure they can look to rebuild their
lives with the confidence of knowing they are supported.

"The role of the police and law enforcement is fundamental in
the fight against modern slavery and the importance of a more
consistent and coordinated approach across the police service in
England and Wales and the UK cannot be underestimated."

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for
Devon and Cornwall, with responsibility for oversight of the police
transformation work related to modern slavery, said:

"The decision to bid for police transformation funding was both
bold and courageous and the £8.5m awarded has created one of the
largest programmes to take place under the Police Transformation
Programme.

"The National Modern Slavery Policing Transformation Unit
(MSPTU) unit, based in Exmouth, is at the heart of this, drawing on
the knowledge and expertise of 70 modern slavery practitioners from
across the country. They are employed across 18 different law
enforcement agencies and work from over 20 locations.

"Their work has led to video masterclasses available across the
entire police network, a four-day investigators' course which has
already trained 300 people and awareness-raising days that have
been attended by 1,200 officers all over the country. Specialist
interviewers have been trained in better ways to support victims of
slavery.

"Through the programme, we now understand more about modern
slavery and can use that knowledge to improve the way police forces
and other agencies try to combat it.

"Modern slavery impacts our everyday lives in a number of ways
and the programme adds to the broader Police and Crime
Commissioners' initiatives which seek to ensure that communities
are protected from the infiltration of serious and organised
crime.

"Modern slavery is far more prevalent in our society than we
might realise and rising number of British victims and offenders
are being identified. UK nationals are in the top three most
trafficked nationalities."